There can be few people in western nations who have not heard of “The Barber of Seville” and fewer still, even without a musical background, who do not recognise the overture to “William Tell”!
The music of Gioachino Rossini remains as light, enjoyable and popular as ever. I was born for comic opera” he said, but amongst his later compositions are couple of sacred pieces in which his operatic style and romanticism persist.
The Warriner Choral Society will be performing his ‘Petite Messe Solennel on Saturday 10th May in Deddington, at the Church of St Peter & St Paul Accompaniment will include harmonium as, no doubt, Rossini would have wanted. His irrepressible sparkle is characterized in a comment of the time that the Petite Messe Solennelle was “neither little, nor solemn, nor particularly liturgical”!
The performance will commence at 7.30 pm and there will be refreshments during the evening. Tickets (£8 and £7 concs) are obtainable from Hayward White (Deddington), One Man Band (Banbury), Bloxham Post Office, Jenny  or on the door.